The invention relates generally to road signs and more specifically to portable and readily demountable road signs which may be used on a transient or short term basis.
As long as vehicles have been disabled and as early as roadways have required repair, signs and placards to warn approaching motorists have existed. In the former instance, such warning signs frequently took the form of flares or the current standard triangular reflective sign. In the latter instance, the variety of situations is reflected in the variety of sign configurations. Perhaps the most standard design is a solid panel of metal or wood typically three to four feet square. The sign is painted a brilliant color and includes indicia in one face. Support for the sign may be one of an equally large variety of designs such as single staffs having flared bases or easel-like supports.
A typical sign and support is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,847. Here, a rigid panel is suspended generally between a pair of aligned, U-shaped frames interconnected at their bases by pairs of pivoted arms. While this portable sign folds to a generally flat, two dimensional arrangement for storage, it still occupies a significant volume.
Another demountable sign is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,843. A sign formed of flexible material is supported by a pair of centrally pivoted arms. The sign is yieldably supported to facilitate spilling of the wind past the sign. The support disclosed is readily collapsible into a substantially one dimensional package. The sign, since it is fabricated of a material such as canvas, may likewise be stored in a substantially one dimensional package. However, no means are disclosed whereby the sign may be so maintained or protected from dirt or other deleterious influences.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that improvements in the art of demountable signs and road warning apparatus are both desirable and possible.